The girls got the same treatment from Xanthe. Like Cal and Nick, Artemis didn’t have a white star on her chest either. When she turned to face Xanthe, Nick stared at the network of whiplash scars on her back, and Cal saw the enthusiasm drain from his face, to be replaced by serious resolve.
Kráytos stepped in front of the bonfire, throwing out a powerful silhouette, and everyone went still.
‘Kráytos,’ Xanthe said, gesturing to the girls, ‘are these recruits ready for initiation?’
‘They are ready,’ Kráytos replied.
Rayámina nodded to the boys. ‘And are these recruits ready for initiation?’
‘They are ready.’
Then Kráytos began speaking in Yándi. Cal understood most of what was said: that the Bandála had been formed to protect the Yándi and their allies, that Yándemar was to be defended from the Arai at all costs, and that everyone must commit their strength and spirit to the Bandála’s cause.
‘Will you join us?’ Kráytos asked.
There was a strong reply of ‘Kúla’ from the new recruits. Yes.
Nick looked confused, but Cal didn’t translate for him. That oath, he suspected, was not for them.
Kráytos handed out copper discs to everyone except Nick, Cal and Artemis. When Rayámina stood in front of the bonfire, a hush fell, as if the darkness itself was holding its breath.
‘Arai deserters, step forward,’ Rayámina said.
Artemis eagerly obeyed. Tense and hesitant, Cal moved to join her. The Bandála watched as he crossed the space, and it seemed to him that something around them stirred, some night presence that rose from the earth, brightened the stars, and made Rayámina’s white body paint glow. His spine tingled.
‘Artemis and Cal, you once fought alongside our enemy,’ Rayámina said.
Whispering rose around them. Artemis didn’t seem to care, but Cal was instantly on his guard, tilting his head to listen for movement behind him.
Rayámina shot him a warning look before continuing, ‘You are here tonight to prove that your strength and spirit aligns with ours. Will you join paths with the Bandála?’
‘Yes,’ Artemis replied.
Cal frowned. Why had Rayámina asked them to join paths? Why not join the Bandála?
Rayámina gave the slightest of nods, and Cal understood then that the variation in wording had been deliberate. He wasn’t offering membership into the Bandála. He was requesting an alliance.
‘I will, sir.’
Rayámina dipped his fingers into a bowl of white pigment and painted a star over Artemis and Cal’s Arai tattoos. Then he said, ‘We walk together, nallindéra.’
Kráytos handed them each a copper Bandála necklace. Cal ran his fingers across the chiselled star. As a child, he’d dreamed of owning one of these. He’d forgotten about that until this moment.
‘Nick, step forward,’ Rayámina called.
As Nick crossed to the bonfire, Cal fell back into line with the other boys. Rayámina smiled and spoke soft words that only Nick could hear then he dipped his hand in the white pigment.
‘Nicholas Kári’s lightning track has brought him here, to Auremos,’ Rayámina announced as he painted something onto Nick’s chest. ‘He is one of us, a Yándi, and he fights for what we believe in. He fights for our freedom.’
The crowd stirred with excited whispers, which died down when Rayámina held up a hand.
‘But we are not his only people. The Korelians also have a claim over him.’
More whispers erupted at this, this time laced with hostility.
‘Because of this,’ Rayámina said, ‘his lightning track must remain his own.’
He spun Nick around to face the Bandála. Over the top of Nick’s Arai tattoo was painted a sundisc with two spiralling arms, the symbol of the Korelian monarchy.
‘If we walk with him, we will not have to fight anymore. We will not have to live in fear.’
The Bandála shifted and coiled, like a rousing creature of the night, listening with intent to Rayámina’s resounding voice.
‘Kári will ensure our borders are safe. He will ensure that our children are no longer snatched from our doorsteps and turned into monsters.’
Cal winced at the sting of those words.
‘If we walk with him, we can defeat Thanos and eliminate the Arai, and our people will never be enslaved again!’
The Bandála roared their support. Nick looked as though he wanted to bolt, but Rayámina kept a firm hand on his shoulder. Cal doubted then that Nick had known what Rayámina was going to say tonight.
‘The Bandála walks with you, Nicholas Kári,’ Rayámina said.
He picked up his spear, joined the crowd, and saluted. An instant later, every other Bandála soldier snapped into a salute as well. Nick stared at the ochre-smudged army, shaking and breathing rapidly. Cal broke ranks and moved forwards until he was right in front of Nick, blocking, he hoped, most of the intimidating sight behind him.
‘You’re not alone, Nick. You won’t face the Arai or any of this alone.’
Artemis appeared at his side. ‘We’ll be right here. All the way. Whatever it takes.’
Giving an anxious nod, Nick whispered, ‘Thank you.’
Jinx punched the air. ‘Those Arai won’t know what hit them!’
Several people laughed, and Nick smiled, making the layer of dry ochre on his cheeks crack. But the smile didn’t reach his eyes, and Cal recognised beneath the painted mask something that he knew only too well.
Dread.
Chapter 37: The ultimatum
The fire night continued well past midnight. Crispy fillets of meat were torn from slow-cooked wallabies and handed around. Cheerful talk echoed across the training field, sometimes switching to singing and mad, stamping dancing. Nick ate till his belly hurt, and at one point he had to lie down by the bonfire to rest. The stars were out in force, puncturing the blackness like a spray of bullet holes in a tin roof.
Cal and Artemis flopped down beside him.
‘I never thought I’d wear one of these,’ Cal said, turning over his copper disc so it caught the firelight. ‘It’s strange. But good.’
Artemis rolled onto her stomach and grinned at the boys. ‘It’s great. We’ve got somewhere to come back to. All of us. Always.’
Nick nodded. This night, these people, the tightness on his skin from the dried ochre and his full belly, did feel good. Auremos was a place they could return to, somewhere they could be themselves. It was home. Now and always.
He wished he could stay forever, be an ordinary Bandála soldier guarding this ancient haunted city and not ever have to worry about the life that waited for him beyond its golden walls. But he knew that, one day, probably sooner than he’d like, his other life would catch up with him, and he’d have no choice but to answer the call. He would never forget the terrifying sight of the Bandála standing before him with so much fierce hope in their eyes. Dread crept over him again. Would he ever be able to live up to their expectations? All he could do was try.
The temple bell began to toll. It wasn’t the slow, rhythmic clanging Nick was used to hearing. This sound was urgent and relentless, and he felt the mood around him shift from elation to confusion.
Then David yelled, ‘The beacon towers are lit! Everyone to your posts!’
People scrambled to obey. Most sprinted towards the eastern quarter.
‘Cal!’
Cal leapt to his feet and saluted. ‘Sir!’
David gripped his shoulder. ‘From now on, you’re Nick’s shadow. Don’t let him out of your sight.’
A flash of understanding passed between them.
‘Yes, sir,’ Cal replied. Then he turned to Nick and Artemis and said, ‘We have to get to the armoury.’
They raced up to the sun temple where the bell still rang. The clamour set Nick’s teeth on edge. As they crested the hill, he saw that the entire eastern wall was lit up with torchlight. Senior Bandála soldiers shouted commands, sending the younger recr
uits scurrying in all directions. Nick followed Cal and Artemis to a large storage area crammed with spears, shields, crossbows, staffs, swords, daggers, long bows, quivers brimming with arrows, and lots more deadly-looking things Nick couldn’t name.
They waited in line until a Yándi man barked, ‘Post?’
‘Aqueducts,’ Cal and Artemis replied.
The soldier tossed them swords, daggers, bows and quivers of arrows. Their faces were still coated in red ochre, with their eyes and lips painted white, and once they’d armed themselves Nick thought they looked even more unnerving.
‘Post?’
Nick stared at the selection of weaponry and replied, ‘Uh...’
‘He’ll only need a sword,’ Artemis said. When Nick opened his mouth to protest, she asked, ‘You ever shot an arrow before?’
‘No, but—’
‘Safer for the rest of us if you don’t start now.’
Nick took the sword and buckled it to his belt. When he glanced up again, Artemis had gone.
‘I’ll take you to the watchtower,’ Cal said, ducking back into the street. ‘You can see Artemis and the other sharpshooters up there.’
Nick sidestepped a woman struggling with a screaming toddler and asked, ‘What are sharpshooters?’
‘Korelian archers. On a clear night like this, they’ll be able to see right up into the mountains.’
‘Artemis is a sharpshooter?’
‘She’s one of the best,’ Cal replied.
As they climbed a spiral stone staircase, Nick glimpsed the battlements through the narrow windows. Soldiers ran up and down the eastern wall, getting into position between the merlons and checking their equipment. Several of them had covered their jackets in a light dusting of red ochre. White Bandála stars were painted on their chests.
Higher up, the aqueducts came into view, connecting the city walls to Blackrock Mountain. Both of the channels were dry.
‘What happened to the water?’ Nick asked.
Cal pointed to a spot halfway along the aqueducts. ‘It’s been redirected. See? It flows onto the plain and turns the ground to mud. Makes it harder for an enemy to get to the wall then.’
The staircase ended at the watchtower roof, where a huge beacon fire burned. David was there with six other Bandála soldiers, surveying the hills and shouting orders to the people below.
‘What’s happening?’ Nick asked.
‘There’s an Arai force coming over Blackrock Mountain,’ David replied. ‘I’m not sure how large it is yet, but I’m expecting it to be strong.’
A cry rose from the battlements. ‘Messenger approaching!’
David leaned out over the watchtower wall. ‘Sharpshooters! Hold your fire!’
Nick squinted across the plain. Even with his excellent night vision, he couldn’t see anything but a few trees sticking out of the acres of grass. The land was clear for a kilometre beyond the wall, so if anybody moved down there, they’d be spotted. And then he did spot someone – a lone rider on horseback cantering towards the eastern gate.
‘Where are the rest of them?’ Nick asked.
‘In the bush,’ Cal replied. ‘They won’t come much closer till they’re ready to get into the city.’
‘How are they going to do that? The walls are too high.’
‘That’s why we’ve got sharpshooters. The Arai will try to take the aqueducts.’
Nick stared down the aqueduct channels and asked, ‘How far can the archers shoot?’
‘About halfway to the diversion channels.’
Nick reckoned that was a range of two hundred metres. He wondered if the Arai would use the top tier at all, or if they’d just stick to the lower tier and use the arch supports as cover.
A soldier marched across the watchtower and handed a piece of paper to David, who scanned the contents and snarled.
‘Tell the messenger that the Bandála will never submit to Thanos’s demands.’
The soldier left, and David tossed the paper into the beacon fire. Just before the note turned to ash, Nick saw two lone words written in black ink.
Nicholas Kári.
Chapter 38: Forked lightning
Nick felt sick. The Arai had come with the singular purpose to find and kill him. The surrender of their precious city had not even made their list of demands. It was him they wanted. Nothing but him.
The fire spat a constellation of sparks onto the stones at his feet, and he watched as, one by one, they faded and were extinguished. Behind him, he heard David shout to the soldiers below that Thanos was here to murder Nick, seize Auremos, and slaughter the Bandála. An indignant roar thundered from the battlements.
‘I think I’m going to throw up.’
Nick staggered to the edge of the watchtower and leaned over a drain but managed to hold his dinner down. As he straightened, he saw the Arai army moving down the slope of Blackrock Mountain, stopping well out of range of the Bandála sharpshooters. There were thousands of them, their masks turning them into faceless, expressionless phantoms.
Gazing out towards the plain, Cal said in a quiet voice, ‘Thanos must’ve emptied Korelios to get a force this large.’
Nick recalled what Miles had said about the Arai army being stronger than anything the Bandála had ever faced. He looked over the wall at the soldiers rushing along the streets, at the dozens of sharpshooters on the battlements, at the squadrons gathering behind the east gate with spears and swords. He’d never been important to anybody except Mía before, and here, like a flash flood, was a whole city of people willing to risk everything for him.
No. Not for him. For their belief in him. The belief that David had, mere hours ago, put into their heads.
Nick remembered Mía’s words from what felt like a lifetime ago: ‘Belief is a powerful tool. It can lift people up, or it can crush them. The trick is knowing how to use it to your advantage.’ Did the Bandála really believe Nick was capable of defeating Thanos and the Arai? Or had David somehow tricked them into believing? David had said a while ago that Nick was the Bandála’s hope. At the time, Nick had dismissed the comment, but it was clear now that it was the truth. Whether Nick liked it or not, the Bandála believed in him. They were going to fight, and die, for him. All because they thought he could save them.
His stomach churned again but this time he couldn’t hold it in. He vomited into the drain. When he was finished, Cal passed him a leather waterskin. He rinsed his mouth then leant on the wall, trembling.
‘Cal, what did David mean when he said you’re my shadow?’
‘It’s an Arai term. A shadow is a bodyguard.’
Nick studied David as he paced the watchtower. Did David think someone might try to give Thanos what he wanted? Peering out over the wall, Nick checked everyone’s position. Kráytos headed the squad of sharpshooters above the aqueducts. Artemis stood at one end, an arrow ready to fire as soon as the order was given. On the other side of the watchtower, Xanthe captained a second line of archers.
Several Arai scaled the aqueducts well out of range then threw ropes down and began hauling wooden barrels onto the upper tier.
‘Spirit fire,’ David said. He called down to Kráytos, ‘We need sand and earth! Now!’
‘What’s spirit fire?’ Nick asked.
Cal frowned. ‘It’s a special type of oil. I don’t know what’s in it, but it’s impossible to put out once it’s been lit.’
‘What’s it used for?’
‘Lighting arrowtips.’
Nick pointed to the stockpile of barrels. ‘Or, in this case, an aqueduct.’
The Arai emptied gallon after gallon down the upper channel of the aqueducts while Bandála soldiers tossed bucket loads of sand and dirt over the wall to stop the flow, which soon became a mound of noxious mud. Nick could smell the fumes even from a distance of a hundred metres. The Arai on the lower tier prised the lids off barrels and began filling small pots then plugging them with rags.
‘They’re making...’ Nick said, but he didn’t kn
ow any Korelian words for ‘grenade’ or ‘Molotov cocktail’.
Next, the Arai passed up coils of rope with grappling hooks attached to the ends, and in that moment, Nick understood their strategy. They were going to use the fumes and smoke created by the flaming liquid in the upper channel to overpower the sharpshooters and force them to abandon their posts. Then they could come along the lower tier and throw grappling hooks over the wall. Their masks would help protect them from the fumes. They’d use the grenades to clear the wall before climbing up and, once inside the city, open the east gate for the rest of the army.
Nick couldn’t sit by while the Arai slaughtered the Bandála. He had to stop this.
Something caught Cal’s attention, and he gripped the hilt of his sword. Nick looked back to see Valerius step onto the watchtower roof with four plain-clothed Korelians.
‘It’s alright, Cal,’ David said.
David’s expression had changed, as if Valerius’ presence was a sign that the Bandála had already lost the battle. He called down to Artemis, who left her position on the wall, disappeared beneath the watchtower, and reappeared at the head of the stairs. She saw the four people with Valerius and froze.
Panic gripped Nick and he backed up. ‘Listen. I know what the Arai are going to do. They’ll blind the sharpshooters and—’
‘And climb the wall at the aqueducts,’ David finished. ‘When they get into the city, they can’t know where you are.’
‘When they get into the city? Do you think—?’
‘Cal, Artemis, go with him,’ David said, cutting Nick off.
‘What? No!’ Nick scooted away from Cal. ‘I’m not going to hide!’
David caught his arms and said, ‘Don’t fight me on this. You’re the only person who can get rid of the Arai for good. We need you of all people to survive.’
‘I can help you. If you just listen—’
‘Yes, you can help. You can leave.’
‘But—’
David shook him roughly. ‘Go! Or I will order those soldiers to remove you.’
Lightning Tracks Page 27